Welcome to the Women in Physics Conference 2018 in Oldenburg!

The 22nd German Conference of Women in Physics (Deutsche Physikerinnentagung, DPT) will take place September 27 - 30, 2018, in Oldenburg.

The DPT is a conference associated with the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG) and its working group for equal opportunities (AKC). The conference will be a forum for women in physics and offers physicists of all fields and from all stages in their career the opportunity to present their work and exchange experiences and perspectives benefitting their career planning. Additionally, we will invite highly experienced female experts to emphasize the importance of role models for young physicists. We consider it to be an important task of this conference to help build connections between physicists and representatives of the industry. In correspondence with that a lot of physicists from various branches of industry will be actively invited to participate in the DPT and to present their field of research.

Especially in times with a lack of specialists it is important to support young talents and give them all information necessary to pursue a career in science or in the industry. Their knowledge and creativity are vital to promote and further advance science. To achieve this goal, it is indispensable to grant access to science and industry to women in an equal fashion. Despite all efforts so far, the percentage of women in leadership roles in STEM fields is still too small. The DPT has been trying to counteract this for 22 years and has become a fixed part of the German scientific landscape from which it tries to expand.

In the course of this conference, there will be a program designed to target female students to show them the current state of research in various fields of physics. The aim is to interest female students at an early age to study physics or other STEM fields.

Oldenburg is the fourth largest city in lower Saxony with approximately 160000 citizens. It is located in the North of Germany at the beautiful river Hunte. The university city is dominated by a dynamic middleclass and a strong service industry. However, it is also known for its lead role in information technology. To this day the first continuous pedestrian zone city center of the country attracts people from all over the region. It has always compelled shoppers to stroll down its many narrow streets. The palace garden, the botanic garden and some forests invite visitors to relax. The well-frequented train station and the nicely located highway allow for an easy arrival.

At the core of the conference is a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary scientific presentations. We are also pleased to be able to offer these highlights to further complement the program:

• „A Singularly Unfeminine Profession: One Woman's Journey In Physics" – opening speech by physicist and author Mary K. Gaillard (an interview can be found here), followed by a book signing
• Events concerning job and career planning and compatibility of family and work
• Presentations by Gustav Hertz laureate Lavinia Heisenberg and Hertha Sponer laureate Karin Everschor-Sitte
• Symposium „Topology in Physics – from Skyrmions to Black Holes“
• Guided tours through research facilities
• Free childcare
• Interactive program for female high school students
• Social program and city tour

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Oldenburg in September!

The organization team of the DPT 2018

Further information on the university city Oldenburg can be found here: www.oldenburg-tourismus.de

The program can be found here, the announcement poster here.

You can download the online version of the program booklet here and the flyer for the opening ceremony here.

Pictures of the conference can be found here.